Video Essays Archives - Page 2 of 5

The Purple Rose of Cairo — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 9)

https://youtu.be/zcB36aZusSQ What's the best Woody Allen movie? What's a great movie about why people watch movies? "The Purple Rose of Cairo" answers both questions. Starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, and Danny Aiello, the movie is a fantasy-romance that takes place in New Jersey during the…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 17, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

Big Night — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 8)

https://youtu.be/kayUuPbI0U8 It's time to eat! In this episode of my "What Makes This Movie Great?" series, I briefly examine the 1996 movie "Big Night," starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub and directed by Tucci and Campbell Scott. This complex movie depicts two Italian brothers who…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 13, 2020

Best Movies Video Essays

What Makes This Movie Great? — Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”

https://youtu.be/4eAKtzOdiXY In this episode of my series "What Makes This Movie Great?", we'll discuss why Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" is a relevant movie for today, even though it was released in 1936. Even the hit 2019 movie "Joker" liberally quotes from it. Chaplin's great movie…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 10, 2020

Video Essays

How to Watch “The Tree of Life”

https://youtu.be/myy7pNAcMoo For almost every viewer, the Tree of Life is a baffling movie. On a first viewing, it's hard to tell who the characters are, what's happening, and what the movie is about. This video will help you understand some basics about the movie. It…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 7, 2020

Video Essays

Movies Cliches: The “Talking Killer”

Ever seen a movie where the villain has all of the tactical advantages necessary to kill the hero but doesn't? Ever been frustrated by the stupidity of the villain, and thus the stupidity of the movie, because of this? In this video, I'll discuss that…

Josh MatthewsFebruary 5, 2020

movie education Video Essays

Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” and Claustrophobia

https://youtu.be/Y4l-oMPPfH4 Why does "Dunkirk" make you feel claustrophobic? In this video essay, I'll show you how Christopher Nolan's 2017 movie "Dunkirk" tries to make viewers feel uneasy about the content of the movie, the Dunkirk evacuation during World War 2. I'll also show the formal…

Josh MatthewsJanuary 31, 2020

Video Essays

Joker (2019) — A Quick Movie Analysis

https://youtu.be/-XfEvOYss1U Why did Joker receive so many Oscar nominations in 2020? I find it ironic that it did, given the grab-bag, kitchen-sink way that the movie describes why Arthur Fleck turned into the Joker. The movie makes appeals to conservatives, liberals, and everybody else. This…

Josh MatthewsJanuary 28, 2020

Video Essays

Closed Forms — How Videos Make Characters Inside Them Feel Constrained, Sad, Burdened, and Weak

https://youtu.be/Qh6i00RIxr0 If you've ever felt claustrophobic in a movie, why and how did that happen? If you've ever felt badly for a character is trapped, how did you get that emotion? More than likely, those feelings are generated instantly by your reaction to "closed forms."…

Josh MatthewsJanuary 28, 2020

Video Essays

Die Hard, Political Messages, and Character Types

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX_ccG4-4J8&feature=youtu.be Using the 1988 movie "Die Hard," I'll show you how to watch movies like a pro. One way is to notice and interpret the obvious character types. What's a character type? A clear identity marker that shows what group a character belongs to. In…

Josh MatthewsJanuary 27, 2020

movie education Video Essays

Star Wars and the United States’ Empire

https://youtu.be/DNk2rZy7aNA What does "Star Wars: Episode 4, A New Hope" have to say about the United States? The movie was released in 1977, the year after the Bicennential, which celebrated the 200th year anniversary of the American Revolution. That was also two years after the…

Josh MatthewsJanuary 20, 2020

Video Essays

The Purple Rose of Cairo — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 9)

Big Night — What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 8)

What Makes This Movie Great? — Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”

How to Watch “The Tree of Life”

Movies Cliches: The “Talking Killer”

Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” and Claustrophobia

Joker (2019) — A Quick Movie Analysis

Closed Forms — How Videos Make Characters Inside Them Feel Constrained, Sad, Burdened, and Weak

Die Hard, Political Messages, and Character Types

Star Wars and the United States’ Empire

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